World of Kamado

Have you watched any of babybackmaniac’s videos on YouTube? He’s a fellow member here. And he’s recommended the komado joe several times.

When I bought mine I went with the Kamado Joe (classic). It was cheaper and every bit as good, food will all taste the same no matter which you pick.

I would honestly pick based on which one you think looks better. Food will be the same.

Just a thought: how about the Akorn jr.? Way less expensive and same idea. Just throwing it out there.

Akorn Jr is a great option. its 1/4 the price and 1/10th of the weight. People really love them. I had a friend who bought one after ogling my kamados and he loves it. Take a little seasoning and a little practice, but its a great little grill. Super portable and you're not going to crack it!
The BGE mini max is cool, but it's not as portable as they make it seem. Still super heavy, and not to mention its a lot of $$$.

https://youtu.be/sUCocNEbKSs

Here he does a review of the mini max. It’s a good watch. I don’t own either so I don’t have an opinion either way. But from what I’ve learned the komado joes come a lil cheaper and more fully loaded. But the down side for me is the joe is harder to find and the egg is available to buy everywhere.

if you are looking to do lo & slo, the junior and minimax may frustrate you a bit. Both have 13"ish diameter grid, so getting ribs or brisket on them can be cumbersome. Butt and brisket cooks are a smidge long for a single load of lump on each grill.

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Unless you really prefer the color I don't see an advantage to paying the higher price for the BGE. As you said, in the Jr. I don't think that the KJ is the better product (where with the upgrades I do in the larger sizes) but it's not any worse either so might as well save some money for meat.

greenmountainsmoke said:

Just a thought: how about the Akorn jr.? Way less expensive and same idea. Just throwing it out there.

Click to expand...

I was gonna suggest this too.

Id be nervous taking fragile, expensive kamodo on the go.

As for the joe vs the egg which color you like better?

I have a 10+ year old mini Egg with nest and I love it for small cooks like steaks, burgers, dogs, chicken parts, etc but as others mentioned the small size is not optimal for smoking most meats. It’s my go-to steak griller as I can get it to 700+ for killer crusts and I’d be afraid to take my Akorn (full size) that high as I’ve seen horror stories about burning out the gaskets (same as the BGE but I think the BGE’s gaskets are easier to replace) but also ruining the paint on the Akorn and burning out the ash catcher. YMMV

The Mini Egg is very portable for 1 person but you definitely have to be very very very careful! It’s not too heavy and I’ve transported it in my trunk and backseat. Definitely take the insides out before you lay it down.

I have the Akorn Jr and love the idea of being able to throw it in the back of the truck and head to the beach. We do hot dogs, burgers and brats while sipping ice cold Dos Equis in Mexico. I have had it for 10 years and abused the heck out of it and it is still cooking away. It also does not causes the Mexican Customs Agents to look twice as it is well used (i.e. dented and battered)

I have the minimax and went with it because my other one is green. If you can snag a Joe Jr. at a good price like at a Costco road show or something I wouldn't hesitate. I like my minimax for small weeknight cooks and I've taken it on vacation a couple times. I would not by the BGE Platesetter, go with the Woo from the Ceramic Grill Store, I love it.

I have the Kamado Joe Jr. I love it and it's meat searing machine but I don't know if I would pay full price for it. I got it for free when I bought the Big Kamado Joe at Costco roadshow. Joe Jr. is still pretty heavy for one person to lift and carry around. I wouldn't really say it's all that portable. It came with everything like the stand, grate grabber, ash tool, and ceramic heat defector so there's nothing extra to buy.

What I like about Joe Jr. is it heats up fast and uses such small amount of fuel. Bag of lump charcoal will last you forever. It really is fuel miser. Grill space is pretty limited but you can place the grate at lower level really close to the charcoal so you can get really great sear. It's also great little smoker but you're limited to small cuts. Last week I smoked 10 lb pork picnic and that was the biggest meat I smoked in Joe Jr. But I think optimal cook size for Joe Jr is about 6-7 lbs of meat. Full charcoal will last about 8 hours for smoking which is plenty.

Here are some cooks I did on the Joe Jr. 7 small lobster tails easily fit.


Oysters and fishes


Round roast and chuck roast


Chicken quarters


Pork belly

Rack of pork


I've done tons more cook but you get the picture. It's everything the bigger Kamado is, just smaller.

I possess the BGE mini. My portable cooker is a Weber Go Anywhere. I understand the lure of ceramic cookers. I’m guessing it weighs 30-35#??? No clue what the Mini Max. My mini is basically a really fun grill. That sits in its same spot. I’ve traveled fairly extensively, with my WGA. BGE mini will get 650 plus, and takes a while to cool down. WGA will cool in minutes.

Like I said, I understand the ceramic attraction- but The portability and versatility of the WGA is pretty cool and under $50

Looking forward to discovering which ceramic grill you go with and a review of your travels and cooks.

I have been a Primo owner for about 10 years. When there was any issue, I could call and it was taken care of. I like the fact that they are made and built in the US, unlike alot of the other brands. It is great to cook on. From doing reverse sears, regular grilling of foods, smoking (cold and hot) as well as the best pizza oven around.

Good luck in your search!

If you would like to see what the Mini BGE (10" grid) is capable of, do a youtube or Goggle search for "Magic Mini Moments". Leroy, aka Spring Chicken, compiled I believe ten or so picture videos of cooks on the BGE Mini.
I have two along with a MiniMAX and a large.
And The Ceramic Grill Store is the go to for accessories on any of the ceramic cookers!

If you're looking at KJjr and Costco member, it's hard to beat Costco Roadshow prices. KJjr is $400 during the Roadshow. If you're in MO, there's roadshow in Kansas City during 2/23 - 3/04.
https://www.costco.com/kamado-joe-schedule.html